10. The Torch Passing (2000)

Online betting players still haven’t seen anything like this, and to be honest, you probably could have paired with the 2000 US Open.  In those tournaments, Jack Nicklaus was more or less saying goodbye to golf fans (even though it wouldn’t become official until 2005, when he played his final pro tournament at St. Andrews), while Tiger Woods was taking over the game.  After a 15-stroke slaughter at Pebble Beach, Woods bashed the field by eight at St. Andrews, and his -19 score is still the low score at a major.

9. The Duel In the Sun (1977)

This could be the best showdown in golf history: Nicklaus and Tom Watson went shot for shot at Turnberry in 1997, and it came down to the 18^th hole, when Nicklaus drove into the rough, and Watson in the fairway.  Watson’s approach came up three feet short, while Nicklaus was about 35 feet out.  Nicklaus, down by one, somehow made his birdie, but Watson tapped in as well for his second British Open.

8. Van de Velde’s Collapse (1999)

We’re still trying to figure out why Jean Van de Velde hit driver off the tee at Carnoustie.  He could have used irons all the way and got a bogey, which still would have wrapped up the title for him.  Instead, what happened was literally a comedy of errors: the sight of Van de Velde with his pants rolled up, preparing to hit out of the burn with his fourth shot, which he decided against.  Then he hit into a bunker, had to pitch out of that, and make an eight-foot putt just to make a playoff, which was won by Scotland’s Paul Lawrie.  You don’t even have to understand golf, just watch this wildness go down.

7. Watson Falls Just Short (2009)

Watson returned to Turnberry at 59 years young in 2009, and when he shot a 65 in the first round, you heard, “oh, isn’t that nice”.  Then he was tied for first with Steve Marino after the second round.  Then Watson badly outplayed the younger Marino, who shot 76 while Watson shot 71 to take a one-shot lead into the final round.  Then it turned into a battle, but Englishmen Lee Westwood and Ross Fisher fell back as Stewart Cink was surging up the leaderboard.  Cink carded a 69 to pull him into a tie with Watson, who missed an eight-foot par putt on the 18^th.  Cink went on to win the four-hole playoff, ending Watson’s dream of being the oldest major championship.

6. Daly Holds Off Rocca (1995)

Daly smoked his way (literally and with his massive drives) around St. Andrews, but it may be remembered more for Constantino Rocca, who was left in the “Valley of Sin” on the 18^th green, and was well below the hole after a poor chip shot.  Rocca made a miraculous 60-foot putt to make it a four-hole playoffs, but Daly came away with his second major championship.

5. Seve From The Car Park (1979)

The first of Ballesteros’ five Open wins came at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, and the highlight came on the 16^th hole, where a wayward drive went into the parking lot and was under a car.  After a drop, Ballersteros showed why he may be the most imaginative player that ever lived, hitting to about 20 feet, and sinking a birdie putt.

4. Palmer Makes It Big (1961)

“The King”, or Arnold Palmer, if you live under a rock, made the Open big in America as his win was the first watched on television.  Walter Hagan, Bobby Jones and others had gone over to raise the Claret Jug, but British Open betting players will remember this era as the time that television was getting bigger, and Palmer was at the forefront of the bubbling American golf scene.

3. Hogan Flexes His Muscles (1953)

­It’s a shame that Ben Hogan played the British Open just once, in 1953 at Carnoustie.  This was because the PGA Championship was often held at the same time as the British Open, and this also stopped his chance for a Grand Slam, as Hogan had already won the Masters and the US Open earlier that year.  Hogan tamed Carnoustie, and never went again.

2. Sanders Stumbles (1970)

It’s not quite as bad as Van de Velde, but Doug Sanders is probably the second name you think of when it comes to British Open chokes.   Sanders had a three-foot putt and a one-stroke lead over Nicklaus on the 18^th hole at St. Andrews, but he never looked comfortable standing over the putt, and stopped to move something out of his line.  He missed the downhill putt, and went on lose in a playoff to Nicklaus.

1. The Morrises (1860-1872)

In the first 11 years of the Open, Old Tom Morris and his son Tom Jr. (Young Tom, obviously) won eight Opens at Prestwick Golf, including five straight between 1867 and 1872 (there was no tournament in 1871).   Old Tom is credited with starting the Open Championship, hitting the very first shot, and he designed Prestwick, which had to give him an advantage.  If sports betting was going on in that era, the Morrises were the smart play.

Over the last decade online betting has become the most dominant way to wager on golf. As a result sports betting connoisseurs have become more interested in the history of the British Open. Today we look at five of the best moments in the last decade of the British Open.

1. 1999 Paul Lawrie Breaks 68 Year Old Curse – During the 1999 British Open, Paul Lawrie became the first Scotsman in 68 years to win the British Open. Lawrie was behind France’s Jean Van De Velde by an astounding 10 shots, when Van De Velde had difficulty sealing the deal on the final hole. After being forced to triple bogey on the final hole, this opened the door for Lawrie to birdie the final shot and break the curse while capturing the Claret Jug trophy.

1. 2. 2000 Tiger Woods Wins British Open for First time- After winning his first Masters title three years prior in 1997, Tiger Woods finally laid claim to the British Open title. 2000 is perhaps known as the greatest year in golf, as Woods became the fifth player ever to win a grand slam golfing title, while posting a -19 score to win with the lowest score ever.

1. 3. 2001David Duval Wins First Title- After being the runner up twice in 27 appearances at a major golfing championship, Duval finally captured his first and only major title. Breaking out of a four way tie, Duval would win with a -10 274.

1. 4. 2002 Ernie Els First British Open- This was Els third career major championship and currently his only British Open championship. Els would win the tournament after a playoff sudden death victory with three other opponents, ending the day with a short chip shot on a bunker at par 18.

1. 5. 2003 Ben Curtis First Ever Major Championship- To date this is Ben Curtis only championship, as he would win with a 283 -1 over Vijay Singh, Thomas Bjorn and Tiger Woods.

Golf sports betting enthusiasts betting on their favorite golfers have come to enjoy some of the greatest moments of the British Open. During the 1960s, golf was dominated by three men, Arnold Palmer at the end of his career, Gary Player entering the prime of his, and a young up and comer by the name of Jack Nicklaus. The British Open was one tournament that became synonymous with the trios success and here are five moments from the 1960s to 1970s that were quite memorable.

1. 1962 Arnold Palmer Revives the British Open- In the years leading up to Palmer’s British Open win in 1962, American interest in the British Open had dwindle considerably, as the tournament was dominated by Europeans. Yet in 1962, Palmer showed off his dominance as he defeated his opponents by a six stroke lead, ending the day at a score of 272 (-12).

1. 1965 Peter Thomson Final British Open- After much success in the 1950s and early 1960s, this would be Thomson’s final British Open victory. The win for Thomson was no easy feat as he had to face off with hall of famers, Arnold Palmer, Tony Lema and Jack Nicklaus before cruising to victory.

1. 1966 Jack Nicklaus Wins First British Open- After making a name for himself six years earlier by becoming Arnold Palmer’s main rival, the young Nicklaus finally captured the elusive Claret Jug trophy in 1966. This would be the first of four British Open titles for Nicklaus who won his first title by a single stroke.

1. 1969 Tony Jacklin Becomes Local Hero- In 1969 Tony Jacklin of the UK became a local hero as he won his only British Open title. Jacklin the first Brit to win the British Open since 1951 would win the title by two strokes.

1. 1974 Gary Player Wins British Open After Trick Shot- Player was the best European player at the time and going into the final hole of the 1974 tournament became stuck in a jam. Essentially, Player’s shot had hit the clubhouse wall and landed in an awkward spot. However after deciding to take the shot from the spot, he would go on to win the tournament.

The British Open is one of the most legendary sports tournaments in the history of organized professional sports. Since its inception in 1860, fans have become richer after betting on the likes of Tom Morris Sr. Harry Vardon, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. For the online betting enthusiast with a passion for nostalgia, it is important not to forget some the greatest moments at the British Open. Here are five of the earliest classic moments.

1. 1914 Harry Vardon Wins Sixth British Open – In 1914, legendary golfer Harry Vardon became the first golfer to ever reach six wins at the British Open. He had won his other five in 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903 and 1911. On this day however, Vardon would win against fellow legendary golfer and five time British Open champion J.H. Taylor as he defeated Taylor by three strokes. The sixth victory came at Prestwick, the founding golf club for the tournament and was Vardon’s third win at the club.

1. 1929 Walter Hagen Successful defense of championship – 15 years after Vardon won his sixth championship, Walter Hagen became the latest golfer to successfully defend his British Open title. In the tournament he finished with a final score of 292. Further this was Hagen’s fourth and final British Open victory.

1. 1930 Bobby Jones Third British Open Trophy – Bobby Jones would win his third and final British Open trophy on this day, becoming the only amateur to do so. Jones would win by 10 strokes and would go on to found the Masters tournament at Augusta National.

1. 1939 Dick Burton Breaks the Curse- In 1939, Dick Burton broke a 29 year old curse for British golfers at St. Andrews as he became the first Brit to win the British Open at the venue. Due to World War 2 happening later that year, Burton would remain British Open champion until 1946 when he had to defend it again.

1. 1946 Sam Snead Wins British Open – After a seven year layoff due to World War 2, golfer Sam Snead would win his only British Open title in 1946. He would win by four strokes.